A communications cable is generally constructed of an outer plastic jacket and an inner metal core wrap with an annular space therebetween. The core wrap enwraps a plurality of twisted insulated conductors with a filler material, such as petrolatum, wax, and other hydrocarbons between the conductors. The presence of the annular space is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,231, granted July 10, 1973 to Eager, Jr. et al. This annular space between the outer plastic jacket and the core wrap is often filled with a flooding compound. The flooding compound had to exhibit a sufficient combination of adhesive and slip characteristics to remain intact during bending of the cable and yet permit ready stripping of the cable when required. One such flooding compound that has met with a high degree of success is atactic polypropylene.
Because of uncertainties in the commercial supply of atactic polypropylene, the industry desired a substitute which exhibited substantially similar physical and water-resistant properties.
Now there is provided by the present invention a flooding compound which exhibits the adhesive and slip characteristics of atactic polypropylene, and yet may be readily compounded and extruded between the outer plastic jacket and metal core wrap of a communication cable.